Railway-crossing



(No Model.) 2 Sheetssheet 1.

' S. J. AUSTIN.

RAILWAY CROSSING.

No. 550,7?1. Patented Dee..8,1895.

(No Model.) -2'Sheets,-Sheet 2.

' s. J. AUSTIN.

RAILWAY CROSSING.

No. 550,771. Patented. Dec. 3, 1895.

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Price.

STEPHEN AUSTIN, OF TERRE I-IAUTE, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,771, dated December3, 1895.

Application filed March 1 8, 1895.

To (6 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Terre Haute, State of Indiana, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Railwa y- Crossin gs, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for allowing thepassage of a train on a continuous track without interference with therails of a second track crossing the firstnamed track at an angle.

The invention relates to that class of crossings in which both thetracks are upon the same level.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure Iillustrates a top view of the crossing, showing my improvement. Fig. IIillustrates in detail a side elevation of the turning portion of therail and the table 011 which it operates. Fig. III illustrates the sameview as shown in Fig. I, excepting that the pivoted portions of therails are turned to allow a train to pass on the other set of rails thanthose Fig. I shows to be unobstructed. Fig. IV illustrates in detail aview of the pivoted portion of the device, showing the bars for turningthe same. Fig. V illustrates the same portion as Fig. IV, but showingthe pivoted rail turned at right angles to the position shown in thesaid Fig. IV.

The same numbers refer to the same parts throughout the five figures.

1 1 is one pair of rails.

2 2 is the second pair crossing the first pair.

3 are the plates bearing the pivoted portion of the rails to which theyare secured and adapted to be turned on pivots.

5 are the stationary ground-plates on which the pivoted portions of therails rest.

6 is the pin seated in a socket or oil-box 5* in the plate 5, which actsas the pivot for the rail-section. Each plate 5 is formed in one piecewith an elevated circular portion 5, against which the ends of the railsare fitted, and with a circular recess or oil-box 5 for the plate 3,carrying the rail-section.

7 are bars connecting adjacent plates 3 by means of the pivot-bolts 8,which are located between the four ends of the stationary rails. Thebars are located adjacent to the web of $eria1li'o; 542,147. (No model.)

the rails above the base of the rails and are arranged to move all fourrail-sections simultaneously. This movement is accomplished by means ofthe arm 9, attached by means of a sliding joint 10 to one of the bars7'.

11 is a lock adapted to engage plate 3 and secure the bars 7, andthereby secure the railsections 4 coincident with either one or theother pair of rails 1 1 or 2 2. 12 is a spring to control said lock 11.

13 are lugs bolted to the sides of the stationary rails and having theirends project to act as stops to the turn-tables The operation of mydevice is as follows: The tracks being in the position shown in Fig.III, a train is allowed to pass over the rails 2 2 in the directionindicated by the arrow. If it is desired to allow a train to pass overthe rails 1 1, as shown by the arrow in Fig. I, the railsections areturned into the position therein shown. This is accomplished by firstmoving the arm 9 to the right, Fig. III, said motion contracting thespring 12 as much as is allowed by the sliding joint 10. This draws thelockbar 11 from its recess in the plate Upon further movement of the arm9 to the right, the lock 11 being disengaged, the plates 3, to which aresecured the rail sections 4, are turned through an arc of ninetydegrees, and the said sections are thereby brought coincident with therails 1 1 to allow an unobstructed passage over them. The lugs 13prevent the turn-tables moving beyond their proper position. This motionof the arm 9 is conveyed to the four turn-table plates 3 by means of thebars 7. The attachment of the said bars 7 to the plates 3 and thepositions they allow are shown in Figs. IV and V.

To avoid the objectionable feature of having the pivoted sections of therails out of level with the stationary sections and of having themoperated on turn-tables located in pits below the track-level, I haveprovided the large metal plate 5. To this is secured the stationaryrails by any suitable means, and in the center of which is placed thepivot-pin 6, controlling the turn-table plate 3. As all the partsthus'rest upon the plates 5, a perfect level is maintained and theturn-tables made so much shallower and lighter that severaltrack-crossings may be operated above ground by one arm, which has notheretofore been done, but which is often necessary, as one track oftencrosses several others. The ordinary construction, which necessitatesthe cutting away of a portion of each intersecting rail to allow for theflanges of the crossing wheels, is also avoided, and the jarring andjolting consequent to such cutting away are by my device renderedimpossible.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the supporting plateformed in one piece with an elevated circular portion, with a centralsocket, and with a circular recess above said socket, the rotatableplate fitting in the circular recess having a pivot-pin seated in thesocket, a rail section secured to the rotatable plate; the stationaryrails, the lugs secured to the stationary rails for engaging the railsection, and means for rotating the plate; substantially as described.

2. A railway crossing comprising rail-sections, rotatable plates towhich the rail-sections are secured, the stationary rails, bars locatedalongside the stationary rails above the base thereof and pivoted to therotatable plates between the ends of the stationary rails; substantiallyas described. I

3. A rail crossing comprising a supporting plate formed in one piecewith an elevated circular portion, with a central socket, and with acircular recess above said socket, the rotatable plate fitting in thecircular recess having a pivot-pin seated in the socket, a rail sectionsecured to the rotatable plate, the stationary rails, bars locatedalongside the stationary rails above the base thereof and pivoted to thecircular plate at opposite sides of the rail-section between the ends ofthe stationary rails, and means for shifting the bars for rotating theplates; substantially as described.

4:. In an improved railway crossing,the combination of pivoted railsections 4 adapted to be brought coincident with either cross rail, anda means of locking said pivoted rail sections in position, consisting ofa spring controlled lock 11, controlled by arm 9, substantially asdescribed.

5. In an improved railway crossing,the combination of plates 5, crossrails secured thereto,

rail sections 4 carried on turn table plates 3 pivoted to said plates 5,bars 7 adapted to turn said pivoted portion, arm 9 to control said bars,and a spring controlled lock 11 to secure said parts in position,substantially as described. V

6. In an improved railway crossing,the combination of sectional railsadapted to turn,

plates 5 to which said rails are secured, and

connectingbars pivoted between the four ends of the stationary rails,lying at the side of and parallel to the said stationary rails andlocated above the base of the latter.

STEPHEN J. AUSTIN.

In presence of- W. FI LEY, STANLEY SToNER.

